Turkey Free Southern Sweet Iced Tea
Sweet, refreshing, and deeply Southern, this classic iced tea is the kind of drink that makes a hot afternoon feel instantly more manageable. It starts with a strong steeped concentrate — black tea bags pulled at just the right moment to avoid any bitterness — then gets sweetened while still hot so the sugar dissolves completely into every sip. The result is that perfectly smooth, not-too-sharp sweetness that store-bought versions always seem to miss. A squeeze of lemon or a sprig of fresh mint takes it from simple to genuinely special without any extra effort. Since it's made entirely from tea, water, and sugar, there's nothing hidden in the ingredient list to second-guess — just clean, straightforward refreshment. Make a big pitcher, keep it cold, and watch it disappear faster than you expected.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 8 cup water
- 6 black tea bags (family-size or regular)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
For serving
- ice, for serving
- lemon slices, for serving (optional)
- fresh mint sprigs, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring 4 cups of water to a full boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard the tea bags without squeezing them — squeezing releases bitter tannins.
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